You're spot on. We've embarrassed ourselves big time on this issue.
So let me get this straight.
You think the fact that Liverpool Football Club, its manager and players standing strongly behind a player they believe has been persecuted and wrongly labelled a racist is embarassing?
You would rather they sit back, see the newspaper headlines yelling RACIST, hear the crowds screaming abuse at one of our players and just bow their heads and do nothing.
As far as I am concerned, if they had taken that course of action it
would have been embarassing, in fact it would have been disgraceful.
I couldn't believe the club printed t-shirt. When you think what that gesture is usually reserved for, global emergencies, serious tragedies, the urgent support of charities.
This is a ridiculous statement. I got some t shirts printed for Christmas - was that wrong? Should I have been told by the shop that they only deal with natural disasters? The players obviously feel deeply that what is going on at the moment is wrong. Their statement and show of support couldn't have made that plainer, and if people want to throw their hands up in horror over that, I would suggest that they are pandering to the newspaper headline writers and TalkSport journo's rather than examing the events of the past few weeks.
Face the music and accept the punishment so we can move on. Only more damage is being caused as far as I'm concerned.
Ok, lets have a look at what has happened, and the punishment meted out.
As far as I am concerned Suarez has been made a scapegoat and is paying the price for a series of events that have built up together.
** England get badly mauled at the World Cup bidding and accusations about illegality in the bidding process are made that cause great embarrassment and trouble for Sepp Blatter and his cronies.
The FA oppose Blatters re-election.
** Suarez hits the Prem and teams find him a nuiscance.
Ferguson labels him a diver, TalkSport devote a programme to debate 'Is Louis Suarez the dirtiest player in the Prem, some no mark goalie calls him a diver.
** Suarez starts to get the wrong end of decisions in games, and little if any protection from referees.
** Blatter makes a comment about how racist remarks on the pitch should be dealt with by a handshake, causes fury (mainly in this country) and is forced to apologise.
** Evra makes a post match complaint about Suarez making a racist remark, and the FA investigate.
They do not subsequently investigate or punish Evra for using a pejorative word even though he admitted the offence.
** The FA hand out an unprecendented ban and fine, to make Blatter and his cohorts see how this sort of offence should be handled, a great excuse for some more FIFA bashing.
** Daily Mirror has a bold banner headline saying simply RACIST. Talksport spend days focussing on pulling one of our players to bits, while every time he now sets foot on the pitch he is subjected to boos and abuse.
** John Terry (subject of a Police investigation into racist comments) plays and gets the following headline in the papers -"John Terry a heroic Leader", "The caring side of John Terry" (picture of him with a black baby).
** Even if found guilty in a Court of law, Terry can not be awarded a ban for 8 games, or a £40,000 fine. Instead, he can be given a maximum fine of £2500. A bit of a difference there isn't there? and despite ALL of this you think the club should have sat back, accepted what the FA have done without any protest or sign of discontent?
You say that Liverpool fans should make up their own minds about all this, well believe me I have done a lot of reading, a lot of listening, and I have made my mind up.
The treatment of Suarez stinks. I know it, the players know it, the manager, who I happen to think is a fairly decent chap, knows it and an awful lot of decent Liverpool supporters know it.
Shame you don't feel the same.
